


Ease

by wrongnote



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Parental Riza Hawkeye, Pregnancy, ed being panicky as usual, edwin baby, the edwin isn't the main focus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:54:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29420442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrongnote/pseuds/wrongnote
Summary: Winry is pregnant, and Ed has a lot of emotions to sort through.(Luckily for him, Riza Hawkeye is there to help.)
Relationships: Edward Elric & Riza Hawkeye, Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell
Comments: 12
Kudos: 51





	Ease

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AVMabs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AVMabs/gifts).



> this is a small gift fic for my friend rory! i hope you enjoy! :) (also, if you've read catalyst, this takes place after, and if you enjoy this i strongly recommend rory's fic "feedback" which is under the name i tagged!)

Edward Elric did  _ not _ panic.

He improvised sometimes, sure, but it was always with a level head and prodigious levels of intellect.

He was relaxed, and prepared, and  _ definitely _ not two minutes away from exploding into a million tiny pieces.

It was fine, everything was fine.

Winry was  _ pregnant,  _ but yeah, he was fine.

After the whole pre-wedding incident, Ed had told Al that he’d work things out with himself and Winry  _ before _ asking for advice, but hell if he didn’t need his little brother right now.

He was going to be a  _ dad, _ and that single thought alone was enough to throw his sympathetic nervous system completely off course.

At first, he had been overwhelmed with happiness to the point of tears, spinning and dancing with his wife until they had collapsed on the bed gasping for breath. Then, he had realized he still had another  _ nine months _ to prepare, which simultaneously felt like the longest and shortest time in the world. 

With Al currently en route to Resembool from Xing, Ed would have to wait for him to arrive to tell him the news. It was no big deal, really. He had  _ months, _ after all, but the incessant bubbling in his stomach told him he had to tell someone  _ now. _ If he didn’t, Winry was sure to wake up from his relentless pacing around the room.

Making up his mind, he quietly snuck out of their bedroom and tip-toed into the hall, his metal foot clicking on the tile. He and Winry had been living in their new Resembool home for over a year now, and Ed was still just as happy with it as he was when they’d built it together. They had made sure there were extra rooms on purpose, and the thought of one being filled so soon was almost enough to bring out the tears again.

Since when did the Fullmetal Alchemist cry so often?

He pushed the thought aside, grabbing the phone and dialing the first number that came to mind. He knew this wasn’t the smartest idea… or the greatest, but he was seriously running out of options. 

Ed only hoped Captain Hawkeye hadn’t been sleeping.

He could feel his foot unconsciously tapping as the operator connected the call, and soon he was greeted with a sharp hello.

Ed cleared his throat, hoping to sound coherent. “Um, hi. It’s me.”

“Edward? What’s wrong?” Hawkeye replied, voice laced with concern. 

“Nothing’s wrong.” He laughed for a bit too long. “Everything’s all good here. Perfect, actually.”

The silence was deafening, and he was almost thankful he didn’t have to see her accusatory glare in person. So much for beating around the bush.

“Winry’s pregnant,” he blurted, biting his lip as he waited for a response. Even when said aloud it still didn’t feel real.

“That’s amazing! Congratulations!” Hawkeye’s tone was wholeheartedly genuine, dropping any traces of her typical professional mannerisms. With the way her and the rest of the bastard’s team had watched over him and Al, Ed was sure they’d all be ecstatic from the news. 

If Hawkeye was already this excited, he did  _ not _ want to imagine how Major Armstrong would react.

“Thanks,” he replied sheepishly.

“How do you feel? Does Alphonse know yet?”

Ed leaned against the wall, mindlessly twirling the phone cord between his fingers. “You’re the first I’ve told, actually. It hasn’t really... sunk in yet.”

“That’s to be expected.” Her voice was just as soothing as it had been when he was younger. It was grounding, which was exactly why he had dialed her number in the first place.“This is a big change for anyone. It’s okay if you don’t quite know how to process it yet.”

“Right.” Ed noticed he’d begun to chuckle again. “It’s just…  _ shit.  _ I don’t know if I can do this. It’s not something I can just handle with alchemy or a punch to the face.”

The line was silent again, and Ed suddenly felt far more vulnerable than he was used to.

“You love Winry, don’t you?” Riza spoke up.

“Of course,” he replied hurriedly; a complete contrast to the first time she’d asked him the same question. (Though he still felt his face grow warm.)

“Then that’s more than enough. You’ve shown time and time again how much you’re willing to do for the people you care about. If you love this baby half as much as the rest of your family, you’re already on the right track to being an amazing father.”

Hawkeye’s logic had always been straightforward like that. She never coddled him and Al with flowery or unrealistic language; rather, she told them the truth in the simplest terms. Details became irrelevant when it came to concepts like love. 

“Winry said something similar, actually. Seems like a cop-out excuse in case I fuck up... but I guess you’re right.” He gave himself a moment to breathe, ignoring the lump in his throat. “I don’t wanna mess this up again like I did for Al. I just want the kid to be happy, you know?”

“I know what you mean,” she responded. “It’s not the same situation, but I felt similarly when you first joined the military.”

“What? How?” 

“None of us wanted you two to go down the same paths that we had, and we did everything in our power to keep you from getting into more trouble than you already did.” Her voice grew softer as she continued. “It wasn’t all easy, but watching you succeed made us happier than you could ever know.” She paused for a moment. “I’m very proud of who you’ve become. We all are.”

For the second time that day, Ed was rendered completely speechless. 

He wasn’t dumb enough to think the team hadn’t cared about him and Al, but hearing it spoken so clearly felt… strange. It made the lump in his throat feel bigger and the stinging in his eyes grow stronger, no matter how much he tried to ignore it.

“Um. Thank you. Really.” He held the receiver away from his face as he sniffed. The air was just dry, that was all. “I used to be a major pain in the ass, huh? A little baby will be a piece of cake compared to  _ that.”  _

“That’s the Ed I know,” she spoke behind what sounded like a stifled yawn. Shit, it was the middle of the night, wasn’t it?

He hurried to wrap things up, his jitteriness from before rapidly wearing off. “Sorry for bothering you with all of this so late. I think I can finally make myself sleep now, thanks to you.”

“It’s no problem at all. I expect updates on the pregnancy, so don’t think you can get away with not calling for months at a time again,” Hawkeye warned.

Ed gulped. “Yes ma’am. And tell the bastard he better cough up the cenz he owes me for the baby shower, okay?”

“I’ll be sure to pass on the message,” she said. “Now stop being so hard on yourself and get some rest. Winry’s going to need your support.”

“Roger that. Goodnight, Captain.”

“Goodnight, Ed.” The line clicked to a dial tone, and Ed slowly sank down until the cold tile was beneath him. 

After his jitters had calmed, sleepiness hit him like a brick wall. He knew Winry would wake up if he tried to crawl back into bed with her, and he  _ really _ did not feel like standing up at the moment. 

Instead, he listened to the ticks of the old cuckoo clock Granny Pinako had loved, letting his mind wander into nothingness. 

“What are you smiling about over here?” 

Winry’s voice startled him out of his reverie, causing him to lurch back and hit his head on the wall. 

So much for a restful night.

“Ow! What the hell, Winry?!” 

“Hey, no swearing around the baby. You’re going to need the whole nine months to work on that one.”

Ed scowled, scooting over to make room for her beside him. “Gimmie a break, as if you’re innocent from that.”

She settled down beside him on the floor, close enough that their shoulders were touching. “Whatever you say. Now answer my question, what’re you up to so late?”

“Couldn’t sleep, so I called Captain Hawkeye to tell her the news.”

Winry’s eyes lit up at the mention of her friend. “What’d she say? Is she excited?!” 

Ed couldn’t help but match Winry’s grin. “Duh. Of course she is. She was… um. Saying how proud she is, and all that. Made me feel stupid for worrying so much.” 

“Good, I’m glad she helped you realize that you’re going to be the best dad in the world.” 

“Damn right I am! We’re gonna have the coolest baby ever!” He exclaimed, earning a loud laugh from Winry. 

He couldn’t say he was completely confident, but Riza was right. He wouldn’t help anyone by sulking around and worrying. Winry would be the one doing all the hard work, so he had to step up by her side. It was the least he could do.

“The coolest,” Winry agreed. “As long as  _ I’m _ the one who dresses them.”

“In what?  _ Coveralls?” _ Ed scrunched up his face. “At least let me design the nursery, then. I’ve gotten really good at woodworking lately, you know.”

Winry snorted. “The three legged table you made begs to differ.” 

“Hey, a lot can change in nine months.” 

Winry’s hand moved to her stomach. “You’ve got that right. Baby still has a long time to grow, but I know we’ll manage. We’ve sort of done this before. In Rush Valley, remember?”

Ed thought back to the way Winry had taken charge while he and Al had cowered in the hallway. Yep, he remembered all right.

“I’ll try not to be as freaked out this time, but no promises.” He lifted a finger, only for Winry to shove it down. “The miracle of life is still pretty awesome, though. It’s like we did alchemy without the alchemy.”

Winry leaned closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’d have to agree with you on that one. It really does feel like a miracle.” 

Ed hummed in agreement, letting his head lean against her own. Never before had he felt so confident in a decision than he had when he gave up his alchemy. If  _ this _ was the result, he’d give it up a million times more just to keep things the way that they were. Just as Riza had said, he had people counting on him, and he wanted nothing more than to continue to make them proud.

“We sure are lucky, Win,” he mumbled.

When no response came, he glanced down to find her fast asleep on his shoulder, the ghost of a smile left on her lips.

He couldn't pretend like he knew all the answers, but for now, moments like this were all he needed.

He’d save the panicking for later.


End file.
